Behind the Wheel with Dale Jr.

We interview the famous NASCAR driver about his passion for videogames.

By Spence D.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is crazy.

And I mean that in the best possible sense. Hell, how else can you describe someone whose chosen profession is driving around in circles at speeds in excess of 175 miles an hour?

While still a veritable young buck in the old school motor sport that is NASCAR, Dale Jr. has managed to rise up through the ranks in a relatively short time, regularly placing amongst the Top 10 in the prestigious Winston Cup circuit. And all at the ripe young age of 27.

What most folks don't know about Dale is that in addition to being a world class stock car driver, he's also a consummate gamer. He's fond of Playstation, loves to play games of all types on his PC at home, and even has a line of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. endorsed steering wheels from Interact.

Recently, while schmoozin' at E3 in LA, Dale dialed up IGN HQ on his celly and talked to our interview guru Spence D. about his involvement with Interact and their line of gaming steering wheels.

IGNinsider: What's happenin' Dale?

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Hey, how ya doin'?

IGNinsider: Just sittin' here playin' racing games on the PS2, actually.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Oh yeah, which ones?

IGNinsider: Rumble Racing

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Eaaahhhh!

IGNinsider: And Midnight Club

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: I've never played either one of those.

IGNinsider: Rumble Racing is fun as hell, but the other one, well, you're not missing out on much. But your steering wheel is working out great.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Yeah? Which one do y'all have?

IGNinsider: The Blue Thunder.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: The Blue Thunder! That's the one! That's a good wheel.

IGNinsider: The only thing that's missing is a clutch.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: [laughs] I heard that!

IGNinsider: So how'd you get hooked-up with the Interact folks?

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Well, actually they contacted me. I've done some interviews where I kind of expressed my enjoyment of video games and stuff like that in the past. And I've told some people from time to time that I've played the games to actually get accustomed to some of the racetracks and things like that. So I don't know, I guess they came at me concerning some interest in making some steering wheels. I mean that was what was important with me, not just to be associated with somebody, but to actually be able to make one. You know, that would be kinda cool. So that was what the interest or the lure for me was, that I would actually be able to help them and have some feedback on the wheels they produce from here on out. So we kind of banged that around a little bit and talked some and settled on a figure that was happy for everybody and now we're tryin' to build a relationship that's really comfortable. I mean it's still relatively new. We haven't actually sat down and worked on a wheel yet, but what they have on the market now I feel pretty comfortable with endorsing.

IGNinsider: So the next step is for you to get in there and actually tweak with the wheels they already have, right?

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Yeah. We've actually sat down for hours at a time and looked at competitors wheels and looked at our wheels and just kinda looked at what we would want and what the gamer would want and what's feasible. You know, you've got different price ranges to look at. I mean everybody wants the best wheel, but there's guys that can only afford this kind of wheel or that kind of wheel. So you kinda got to build three or four different kinds, kinda please everybody and be able to provide for everybody. I kinda just wanted to get downin there and just build the baddest sonoffabitch there ever was and [laughs} Interact said 'Well we have to take it one step at a time and first just improve on what we have.'

IGNinsider: Sounds like you were eager to jump the gun and design a serious pro steering wheel, eh?

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: [laughs] Yeah! I guess I don't quite understand the actual expense, as far as what it costs to make the wheel and what they can sell it for. I mean, you're not gonna be able to sell a three hundred or four hundred dollar wheel at Best Buy and expect people to be pullin' it off the shelves.

IGNinsider: Just because your ugly mug is on the box exclaiming something like "I win with this wheel!"

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: [laughs] Right, right! They're gonna think it's crap and that there's two hundred dollars goin' into my pocket every time somebody buys one. Which isn't the case or what we want.

IGNinsider: So which racing games would you say are you favorite and what platforms do you prefer?

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: As far as what I've been messin' with lately, I've been foolin' with NASCAR 4 a little bit. That's a difficult game.

IGNinsider: More difficult than actually driving your real car?

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Well, parts of it, actually, yeah. The actual game is so real that you question its physics at time. If I could make a game and not consider the rest of the world, I mean that's how I would make it. But I don't think it's a game that's gonna appeal to the masses 'cause it's so difficult. So I've been playin' that a lot. And I've been playin' a lot of NASCAR Heat by Hasbro. That's an enjoyable game, plus it's got a very manageable multi-player side to it, they've got Internet Race Finder. It's very easy to race online. It's a very fun game, very easy to drive. I mean my buddies can sit down, that never have played racing games, and be decently competitive with it, which is something you won't find in a lot of the places. The game lacks a lot of things that make it as real or as fun as you will find in NASCAR 4 but I like the world we live in where we have that option between the two. Mainly those two games. I've played just about anything that's come out on the market, though. Like Formula One Championship Season 2000, that's a good game. I like Formula One racing. They haven't come out with a good Indy car game in quite awhile, except for console. I mainly play on my PC, but when I'm on the road I carry a PS2 with me. So when I'm on the road I'm playing console games like Nascar 2001, stuff like that.

IGNinsider: Yeah, I saw your house on Cribs a few weeks back and I saw your quadrant of PCs all set up for surfing and gaming. So, do you ever go online and challenge other racers to games?

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Yeah, all the time.

IGNinsider: Do you tell them who you are.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Nooooo. Basically it's pointless to do that, because you're instantly thrown into one of those conversations where you have to prove who you are. Either that or they don't believe you and think that you're full of #$&*.